What Is A Stun Gun?

A stun gun is a popular electric shock device used to immobilize an attacker without causing serious or permanent injury. They can be used as a deterrent to temporarily disable an attacker and provide you with a window of opportunity to escape to safety. Using a stun gun requires you to be within arms length of the attacker. You must touch the person with the stun gun to shock them.

Stun Gun Restrictions

Many states have laws banning the possession or sale of stun guns. We will not ship stun guns where prohibited by law.

It is illegal to own or possess a stun gun in the following states: District of Columbia - prohibitedHawaii - prohibitedIllinois - Legal with restrictions. Excluding Chicago, you may possess a stun gun with a valid FOID permit.Massachusetts - prohibitedMichigan - Stun guns are prohibited. Only devices that contain an identification system that can be tracked.New Jersey - prohibitedNew York - prohibitedRhode Island - prohibited

It is illegal to own or possess a stun gun in the following cities: Annapolis, MD - prohibitedBaltimore, MD - prohibitedChicago, IL - prohibitedPhiladelphia, PA - prohibited

It is illegal to own or possess a stun gun in the following counties: Baltimore County, MD - prohibitedCrawford County, IA - prohibited

Stun Gun History

It all started when Thomas Edison decided to endorse the use of the electric chair to a state commission seeking alternatives ways for capital punishment. Of course stun guns today are not setup to be lethal, but they sure hurt and temporarily disable the person who is unfortunate enough to run into one.

Since Edison's endorsement in 1888, many countries started utilizing electricity as a torture weapon on prisoners. Torture weapons had to be strong enough to cause pain, yet not too powerful to cause death. In the 1930s, two devices where in use that fit the non lethal characteristics: the Argentine Picana Electrica and the Italian Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT) device.

The ECT was invented by two Italian psychologists who worked with schizophrenics in the early 1930s. The electric shock was delivered directly to the head of the patient. But this device was not the ancestor of the present stun gun, it was much weaker than the powerful voltage that stun guns deliver these days. The Argentine Picana Electrica is probably the closest device to the stun guns being used today. It was used in many central and south American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

In the US, the first TASER design was proposed in 1952 for commando operations, the "Combined Policeman's Club and Restraining Device" appeared in 1960 and the "Electrified Stick for Postman" was developed in 1964. After that, these devices were used frequently by police to control or prevent riots. In the 1970s, inventors started marketing the devices as self defense products against muggers. This lead to the distribution and selling of all kinds of stun guns and TASERS available to the general public today.

Stun Gun Effects

A stun gun keys into the nervous system dumping energy into the muscles. This causes a loss of balance leaving the assailant disoriented and confused. Stun guns require direct contact. The longer you touch the attacker with the prongs of a stun gun, the longer the effects will last. The shock will not pass from person to person.

As a general rule, a one-half second contact can repel and startle the attacker, giving some pain and muscle contraction. One to two seconds can cause muscle spasms and a dazed mental state. Over three seconds can cause loss of balance and muscle control, mental confusion and disorientation. Realize that 3 seconds is quite a long time when in a physical struggle. Every person is different and will react differently to the effects of a stun gun. What may put one person down in 3 seconds could take 5 seconds on another person.

Types Of Stun Guns

There are many types of stun guns on the market today. There are the traditional stun guns and there are stun guns that portray other products, such as the stun pen or cell phone stun gun. Stun batons give you additional reach and will deliver a powerful shock when touched anywhere along the shaft of the stun baton.